Transmission mechanism for excavators



y 1930- e. T. RONK 1,757,336

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR EXCAVATOHS Filed Janf27, 1926 Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE T. RONK, OF FAIBFIELD, IOWA, ASSIGNOR T SPEEDER MACHINERY COR- PORATION, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR EXCAVATORS Application filed January 27, 1926. Serial No. 84,256.

The object of my invention isto provide a transmission mechanism for excavators, of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, and provided with a variable speed mechanism which may be applied either to the dipper control drums or to the mechanism for gdvancing the excavator over the ground surace.

More specifically it is the object of my invention to provide means of simple construction whereby a variable speed may be applied either to the dipper operating device or to the truck advancing means, for eliminating the necessity of providing two separate and individual devices to perform these functions.

-A further object isto provide in an excavator, an improved means for operating the dipper, a portion of which may be utilized for transmitting forward and reverse motion to the traction device.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which a Figure 1 is a side elevation of the excavator, showing the manner in which myimproved mechanism is applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail view showing the segmental portion of the excavator tractor and the manner in which the power is applied thereto, said view being taken on the line 3- 3 of Figure 1. n 1 The numeral 10 indicates the truck frame in which are mounted the supporting wheels 11, said wheels being provided with the usual linked treads 12. The wheels 11 are mounted on shafts 13 and 14, the shafts 14: being provided with sprocket wheels 15 designed to carry chains 16 which are driven by means of sprocket wheels 17, said sprockets 17 beingmounted on a transversely arranged shaft 18 having near its central portion a bevel gear 19.

50 Rotatively mounted on the truck 10 is an excavator platform 20, one end of which is provided with a boom 21 having at its upper end a pulley 22. Mounted near the central portion of the boom 21 is a shaft 23, to which is pivotally mounted a yoke or guide 24 which is designed to slidably receive the dipper stick 25, so that said stick may be moved longitudinally through the said guide 241. The

outer end of the stick 25 is provided with the usual dipper 26 supported by the cable 27 which extends over the pulley 22 and has one end wound on the drum 28.

The drums 3 1 and 35 are provided with a cable, the central portion of which is wound on said drums in opposite directions, the portion on the drum 34 being provided with an anchoring member 35", while the portion on the drum 35 is provided with an anchoring member 35, the said anchoring members being so located that the cable may be considered as being divided into three portions, 30, 31 and 35*. The portion 35* is that portion which connects the two drums, this portion being wound in opposite directions so that the portion 35 will be wound on one drum while it is being unwound on the opposite drum. The portion 30 has one of its ends attached to the outer end of the stick 25 by means of a bolt 32, while the portion 31 extends below the sheave 29 and has its end connected to the inner end of the stick 25 by means of the bolt 33.

The shafts 36 are provided with gears 38, which are in mesh with each other, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and which are rotatively mounted on said shafts, the drums being operatively connected to said shafts by means of clutch devices 38*, the clutch device of the drum 3-l being controlled by a lever 38*, while the clutch device of the drum 35 is controlled through a lever 38, which provides means for operating the drums 3 1 and 35 in opposite directions.

Rotatively mounted in the frame 37. and transversely above the pivot center of the platform 20. is a shaft 39 having at one end a gear 40 which is in mesh with one of the gears 38. Parallel with the shaft 39 is a shaft 41 which carries a gear 42 which is in mesh with the gear 40, said gear 42 being smaller ing provided with a belt wheel 47, the wheel 7 47 being operated through a belt 48 driven from the motor 49. The shaft 39 is provided with a small gear 50 which is in mesh with the gear 44, and provided with a cone clutch device 51 for operatively'connecting it to the shaft 39, the clutch 43 beingactuated through a lever 52 while the clutch 51 is actuated through a lever 53, the gears 42 and 50 being of the same diameter, and the gears 40 and 44 being of the same diameter.

The shaft 39-is also provided with miter gears 54 and 55, which are operatively connected to a third miter gear 56, which is mounted on the upper end of a shaft 57 extending vertically through the pivot center of the platform20. The lower end of the shaft 57 is provided with a bevel gear 58, which is in mesh with the bevel gear 19 of the shaft 18. The inner hubs of the gears 54 and 55 are provided with clutch members 59, while the outer ends of said hubs are designed to rest against collars 60 which are fixed to the 1 shaft 39, the gears 54 and 55 being rotatively mounted on said shaft. A clutch member 61 is feathered to the shaft 39 and designed to be moved into and outofconnection with the clutch members 59, a lever mechanism 62 being provided for actuating the clutch 61.

Thus it will be seen that if the engine 49 is operating, rotary movement will be imparted to the shaft 46through thebelt 48 and'the belt wheel 47, which will cause the gears 44 and 50 to be operated in opposite directions, together with the shaft 41, through the pinion 45. I

i It will further be seen that if the lever 52 is operated the clutch members 43 will be closed and motion will be imparted to the 7 gears 42 and 40, and the shaft 39 will be rotaton the shaft 36.

ed at one speed, together with the clutch member 61, while if the lever 53 is operated the clutch members 51 will be closed and motion will be imparted to the shaft 39 and the clutch 61 in the same direction as that just described, but'at a different speed, and rotation will be imparted to the gears 38 by actuating the lever 38. The drum-34 will be operated and the'inner end of the dipper stick 25 will be moved inwardly, the drum 35 rotating freely Outward movement may be imparted to th dipper stick 25, by actuating the lever 38, which will cause the drum 35 to 'be operated in the reverse. direction from the drum 34, the cable 35 serving to prevent the disconnected drum from spinning WhilQ'ltS cable is being unwound. The dipper 26 may be elevated and lowered through the drum 28,

Thus it will be seen that the dipper 26 may be elevated at either one of two speeds, depending altogether on whether the lever 52 or 53 is actuated; This provides means whereby a comparatively small engine may be installed on the excavator platform, which will take care of the excavation under ordinary conditions. Then when any exceedingly heavy piece of excavation" is to take place, the lever 52 will be actuated and the drum 28 rotated at a comparatively slow speed, with a proportional increase of power. In a like manner the dipper stick may be actuated at-two different speeds if so desired.

When it is desired to advance the excavator over the ground surface, the clutches 38 are thrown out of operation, together with the clutch 28. The member 62 may then be actuated to move the clutch member 61 into engagement with o'ne'of the clutch members 59 of the bevelgears 54 and 55, WlliCll'iIl turn will operate the bevel gear 56, the shaft 57, the bevel gears 58 and 59, which in turn will cause the shaft 18 to be rotated, which in turn will impart rotary movement to the wheels 11 through the chain 16. V

By sliding the clutch 61 in the opposite direction it will be seen that the other one of the bevel gears 54 and 55 will be operated,

causing the truck to be advanced in the opposite direction.

It will further be seen that said truck may be advanced in either direction at two speeds by the proper manipulation of the levers 52 and 53. c I

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a transmission mechanism for excavators, of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, in which a single variable speed mechanism isutilized to operate either the dipper controlling mechanism or the mechanism for operating the excavator supporting truck.

It will be seen that the cables 30 and 31 may be applied to operate a shovel or bucket, and particularly of that type inwhich the bucket is caused to move toward and from the excavator by manipulation of the cable drums, one of the said cables serving to perform the function of an in-haul cable, while the other performs the function of an outhaul cable. V V I I claim as my invention:

In a device of the class described, a driving shaft having a pinion gear, a second shaft parallel with the driving shaft having a gear in mesh with said pinion and a loosely mounted gear, a clutch mechanism for operatively connecting said second shaft and said loosely mounted gear, ,a pair of drum-shaftsparallel with said second shaft, a drum rotatively mounted on each of said drum shafts, a gear for each of said drum shafts, said gears being operatively connected, a clutch device operatively connecting each of said gears with its respective drum, an intermediate gear connecting one of the gears of said drum shafts with the loosely mounted gear of said second shaft, a third drum shaft, a drum for said third drum shaft, a gear operatively connected with said intermediate gear, and a clutch device for operatively connecting said last drum with the last said gear.

Des Moines, Iowa, August 7, 1925.

. GEORGE T. RONK. 

